If you’re involved in a collision with a commercial truck on Illinois highways, you face a drastically different situation than a typical car accident. A fully loaded semi truck weighs over 25 times more than your passenger vehicle, creating devastating consequences in a crash.
The sheer physics of an 80,000-pound truck colliding with a 4,000-pound car often results in catastrophic injuries or fatalities. These accidents also bring complex legal challenges typically involving multiple parties, federal regulations and corporate interests that standard fender-benders simply don’t have.
Common injuries in semitrailer accidents
You’re much more vulnerable to severe trauma when a massive commercial vehicle strikes your car. The human body cannot withstand the tremendous force generated in these collisions. Common injuries include:
- Traumatic brain injuries
- Spinal cord damage and paralysis
- Severe back and neck injuries
- Multiple broken bones and fractures
- Internal bleeding and organ damage
- Facial disfigurement
- Serious burn injuries
These injuries often require extensive medical treatment and lengthy rehabilitation and may permanently affect a person’s ability to work and enjoy life.
3 complicating factors for victims
If you’re hurt in a truck accident on Interstate 90 or another Illinois highway, several factors make your case more challenging than a typical car crash, such as:
- More extensive injuries: The significant size disparity between trucks and cars means you’re likely to face more serious medical issues, longer recovery times and higher treatment costs.
- Complex liability questions: Determining fault involves navigating federal regulations, investigating driver logs, maintenance records and potential violations by multiple parties, including the driver, trucking company, mechanics and cargo loaders.
- Challenging compensation calculations: You may face multiple insurance companies and corporate legal teams while trying to secure fair payment for current and future medical costs, lost income and other damages.
These factors create a web of complications that can overwhelm you while you’re trying to recover from serious injuries.
Why is skilled legal guidance necessary?
When facing trucking companies with entire legal departments, you need someone fighting exclusively for your interests. A personal injury attorney experienced with commercial truck accidents can identify all potential defendants, from the driver to the trucking company to the vehicle manufacturers. Your lawyer must understand how to obtain critical evidence like black box data, driver logs and maintenance records before they disappear.
Without proper representation, you risk being outmaneuvered by corporate lawyers who handle these cases regularly and insurance adjusters looking to minimize your compensation. The stakes are too high to face these challenges alone when your physical recovery and financial future hang in the balance.